The Paris Conspiracy
by gmurad
Summary: Felicity is a Jewish girl during the height of World War II. She witnesses her father be brutally murdered by a very cruel German soldier. She vows to find and kill each of the men responsible for the events surrounding his death. Her only clue to track down his killers is a name written in a book. Oliver Queen.
1. The Red Wedding

**-Summer 1940-**

_Is this how it ends?_ Felicity thought. _Am I really going to die on my wedding day?_ She looked up at the monster that was currently smiling at her. The smile did not reach his cold eyes. He stepped closer and raised his gun. She closed her eyes as she heard the gun cocking and silently sent out a prayer. The sound of the single gunshot reverberated throughout the church. Screams from the wedding guest reached a crescendo as they were forced to watch the macabre scene.

Felicity opened her eyes when she felt something wet hit her face. Her father's crumpled body met her gaze. The gunshot had been meant for her father and not her as she had expected. Half his face had been blown off by the blast. The liquid that she had felt on her face was his blood. Hundreds of little red droplets lay all over her wedding dress. The expensive white lace material that papa had worked night and day to be able to afford for her big day.

From her left, she heard a broken cry. It sounded like an animal. The sound was coming from her mother who lay on the floor in the corner of the church. Ugly bruises were forming all over her mother's beautiful face. Her fancy dress had blood smeared all over it. The huge clock in the church began to chime. She looked up. It was exactly 3:00pm, the hour of her father's death. _Maybe this is a nightmare. Maybe I'm dreaming._ But she knew that was a foolish thought. Felicity was paralyzed. She realized she was holding her breath. The monster with the cold eyes laughed and spit on her father's lifeless body. Suddenly, he turned sharply to her and raised the gun to her head.

* * *

**-24 hours earlier-**

"Hold still." Donna said as she yanked her daughter's white lace wedding dress down in frustration. Her mouth was full of bobby pins. She kneeled on the floor and pinned the seams of the upper torso of the dress together.

Felicity rolled her eyes. "This is ridiculous! We've been stuck here for hours trying to fix this dress. This is my last day of freedom. Why can't you let me enjoy it?"

Donna grunted in frustration. "Young lady, you are not leaving this room until this dress is good and ready. If you had not lost so much weight- Donna pulled two pins from her mouth and slid them into the left side of the lace dress -I wouldn't have to make all of these alterations. Don't think that your father and I haven't noticed that you have not been eating properly or sleeping. At this rate, you will be nothing but skin and bones before this month is over."

Felicity stopped struggling. She looked down at the oversized white lacy wedding dress that her mother was adjusting painstakingly. Tears started to roll down Felicity's cheeks as she thought about her upcoming marriage. "Mamma, please don't make me marry him." Her throat felt tight. Her body started shaking as a rising tide of claustrophobia surged within her at the thought of being trapped in a loveless marriage.

Donna sighed and stood up, forgetting the alterations for the moment. She pulled Felicity into her arms and wiped the tears rolling down her face. "I know that you're not happy with this arrangement, but starving yourself won't change the fact that this wedding is going to happen."

Felicity shook her head. "How can you force me to marry a man that I've never even met?"

Donna brought her hand up and twirled her finger in Felicity's dark brown hair, "Sweetheart, I wish things could be different, but we have run out of time."

Felicity looked at her in confusion. "Run out of time…what does that even mean?"

Donna stared at her for a long moment with a look of indecision on her face. Finally, her face cleared up. "Hold on. I want to show you something." Donna quickly ran up the stairs of their small home.

Felicity could hear her moving throughthe master bedroom. The creaks of the floorboards were loud. They had lived in the tiny home for over fifteen years and the house was beginning to show signs of wear and tear. She heard her mother run down the stairs.

Donna was a little out of breath. In her hands, she held a newspaper. "Your father made me promise not to show this to you until after the wedding. He didn't want you to be frightened before your big day.

"Frightened about what?"

"I just think it's only fair to explain to you why it's crucial that you marry this man and leave France as soon as possible." She handed Felicity the newspaper.

Felicity unfolded the newspaper and scanned the first page. Immediately she noticed that the usual ads for women's clothing and perfume were missing. The newspaper headline filled her with dread. "This can't be true," she whispered.

Donna pulled the newspaper from her numb fingers. "Believe it. They say that the Germans have already taken Paris. We are lucky that we are so far from the capital, but eventually those brutes will come here. You have to leave at once."

"What about you and papa? How will you get out of France?"

Donna gave her a weak smile. "Don't worry about your father and me. We have a plan in place, but all of our planning means nothing if we can't ensure your safety. I wish you had time for a proper courtship. I wish you could fall in love the old fashion way but that is impossible now."

Sighing heavily, Felicity moved away from her mother and sat down on the chair in the corner. She put her head in her hands. All her worries seemed so trivial now with news of the invasion. "Tell me about him."

"His name is Ray Palmer. I don't know much more than that. Your father made the arrangements. I know that he comes from a wealthy American family"

"But why would a man born with such privilege want to marry a perfect stranger?"

"Apparently he has a savior complex."

"Is he Jewish?"

"I don't know and I don't care."

Felicity looked up at her mother in shock. "I never thought I'd hear you say that."

Donna shrugged. "The world is on fire right now and we have to adjust. The only thing that matters to me is that his family has been able to smuggle papers to him that will give you a new identity. As his wife, immigration will not deny you entry into the United States like they are doing to other Jews."

Felicity said nothing.

Donna moved closer to her. "I believe you will grow to love him in time. This is how it was with your father and me. When our parents forced us to get married, we knew nothing about each other. But over time we fell in love. I pray that history will repeat itself for you and Ray."

"I hope your right."

Donna reached for the white dress and helped Felicity carefully pull the lace off of her body. "Now go wash your face and enjoy your _last day of freedom_. I have a lot of work to do on this dress if it's going to be ready for tomorrow."

Felicity put on her plain brown dress and quickly washed the tears from her face at the kitchen sink. "I'll be back later. I want to see if Sara has arrived in town yet."

* * *

As she grabbed her bicycle to make the twenty minute journey into the local village, her mind flooded with thoughts of her only childhood friend. Felicity's family had moved near the town when she was five years old. The town's people tolerated her Jewish family because of her father's expertise in the medical field. However, when it came to social events, they were ostracized and looked upon as outsiders.

Felicity did not find any girls her age to play with until Sara arrived with her mother. Mrs. Lance had become fed up with being married to an alcoholic. After the divorce, she returned to the town of her birth to live with her parents. It had caused a scandal in the small village, but Donna Smoak ignored the ugly gossip and befriended Sara's mother. Felicity and Sara grew close and spent most of their childhood together.

Everything changed when the girls turned seventeen. Sara was caught by the town gossip kissing an older girl named Nyssa. News of the event had spread all over town like wildfire. Like mother, like daughter the town's people whispered. The mother was a divorcee. The daughter was a lesbian. The Lance family was tainted. Felicity remembered the last time she had seen her friend.

"I'll never be able to live this down." Sara paced back and forth. "Of course that witch would run her mouth. I'm going to kill her."

"Slow down and breathe. Maybe it's not as bad-"

"I have to get out of here before this place suffocates me."

"I'm sure things will calm down soon and people will find someone else to gossip about."

Sara stopped pacing abruptly and faced her friend. "You have always been so naive. Do you really expect these people to change? Look at the way they have treated your family for years."

Felicity shrugged. "I've always believed that if given a chance, people will do the right thing in the end."

Sara dragged her hands through her hair. "I wish I could believe that, but I'm not going to stick around to find out."

"What are you planning?"

"I'm leaving with Nyssa."

"Okay now you're talking like a crazy person. You _barely_ know her."

"I know enough."

"So you're just going to run off with some girl you just met based off of a couple of good kisses?"

"It's more than that. You don't understand."

"Then make me understand."

"I've never met anyone like her before. It's not just that she's beautiful, but she and her father-"

"What about your mother, you know that she will be heartbroken if you take off like this.

Sara laughed bitterly. "She's already heartbroken. She always believed that I would get over my attraction for women and fall in love with one of the guys in town."

Felicity grabbed Sara's hand and squeezed. "She may not understand you, but I know that she loves you."

"I know, but I can't afford to think about what my mother wants anymore. I'm tired of pretending that I'm something that I'm not. I need to be true to myself and I can't do that here with everyone judging me."

Felicity said nothing.

"You know that I've always hated it here. I would have much rather stay in Paris with my sister."

Felicity nodded her head in defeat and turned away so that her friend would not see the tears glistening on her face. She always knew that Sara's destiny lay beyond this small village. "I thought we would have more time together," she whispered.

Sara placed her hand on Felicity's shoulder. "This doesn't have to be goodbye. Come with us."

"I won't leave my parents."

"You may eventually have to. Haven't you heard the rumors coming out of Germany?"

"So?"

"So my point is that you need to prepare yourself for what is coming."

"Based on a couple of unsubstantiated rumors?"

Sara sighed heavily. "It's more than that. Something terrible is happening in that country. Nyssa says that the rumors about the death camps are true. I'm afraid of what that means for your family if they succeed in invading this country."

"The Germans will never be able to invade France. The French people are too strong."

"Your parents have sheltered you too much. War is definitely on the horizon. The Nazi's believe that they are some kind of master race and they want to spread that belief all over the world."

Felicity shook her head. "I don't believe that day will ever come."

"I trust Nyssa's intel. The madman leading them is power hungry and he is not going to stop until he's taken over the whole world."

The sound of the loud church bell snapped Felicity out of her thoughts of the past. She realized that she was getting closer to the village.

She tightened her grip on her bicycle and peddled harder toward town trying to escape her thoughts. Maybe if she went fast enough, she could escape thoughts of her upcoming wedding. Maybe she could escape thoughts of the German soldiers that were currently marching through the streets of Paris. But her mind would not let her escape. She shook her head in regret. Sara had been right. War had finally come to France and she was completely unprepared.

**Author's Note: _This will be a AU that takes place in France during World War II. It will feature many characters from the Arrowverse and their quest to defeat the Nazis._**


	2. The Stranger

Felicity was conscious of the tension in the air when she finally arrived in town. The light-hearted banter and sound of laughter, which could usually be heard floating out of the windows of the town's only café, were gone. The small children that liked to gather outside of the school to play pétanque were noticeably absent. Many shops were closed early, but there were still a few people lingering in front of the shops engaged in anxious whispered conversations with their companions. Even the stray dogs that were allowed to run loose through the smooth, paved streets seemed subdued today.

As she rode her bicycle, she noted how unremarkable the town was. The flowers that bloomed during the spring and summer months were it's only source of beauty. She quickly scanned the faces of the locals who stood outside the shops and noticed the signs of dark desperation in their eyes. _They all must know about Paris._ She shook her head, feeling sad and depressed. So much had happened since the last time she had visited. She came to a stop and got off of her bike, maneuvering it towards the designated area for bicycles.

After parking her bike, she began to walk at a brisk pace towards the hotel where she had reserved a room for her friend. Despite her thoughts dwelling on the horrifying news from Paris, she could feel anticipation and excitement growing within. Sara had sent a telegram promising to be at the wedding. It had been approximately two years since she'd laid eyes on her, and she was looking forward to seeing her friend one last time before setting off for the States.

She shivered as she felt the cool summer breeze playing with the loose tendrils of dark brown hair that had escaped her ponytail. She raised her head heavenward and noted that it might rain soon.

"_Bonjour, _Felicity," a voice said.

She glanced behind her and saw Madame Raisa Delacroix pulling a small garden cart with dozens of flower arrangements. The older woman was out of breath and her forehead glistened with sweat.

Felicity smiled and gave her a quick hug. "Are you okay, Madame Delacroix?" She asked as she inhaled the familiar floral scent of perfume that the woman loved to use. She was one of the few residents who had welcomed the Smoaks with open arms when they had moved near the town.

"I'm fine, just a little winded." Madame Delacroix's face scrunched up in annoyance. "How many times must I remind you to call me Raisa? You know I can't stand formality, it makes me feel old."

Felicity smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. I can't help it." She glanced down at the cart full of flowers. "Are these for the wedding?"

"Yes," Raisa said with a satisfied gleam in her eyes. "I was just on my way to the chapel to finish off the last of the decorations."

"Need any help?"

"No," Raisa said firmly. "Leave all the decorations to me. I don't want you to worry about a single thing."

"Too late," Felicity mumbled under her breath. She looked around at some of the people that passed by. "Do you think any of them will be at the ceremony? I'd hate for all your hard work to go to waste."

"Of course they will. How else are they supposed to gossip about your family if they don't know all the details?" Raisa gave a small shrug. "Never mind them. I'm much more concerned with giving you the wedding of your dreams." She paused suddenly and scrutinized Felicity's face. Her eyes noticing Felicity's dramatic weight loss and the dark circles under her eyes**. ** "Are you okay? You don't seem very excited about tomorrow."

Felicity faked a smile, averting her eyes from the woman. "Of course I'm excited."

"Don't bother lying to me. I can tell that you're troubled, it's written all over your face. Is this about the wedding?"

"Yes. I mean, no…I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed."

Raisa reached out and gave Felicity's arm a reassuring squeeze. "It's perfectly natural for a bride to go through a case of pre-wedding jitters before the big day. You have nothing to fear."

"Well most brides have met the groom before they say I do? I know nothing about this man. He could be a maniac for all I know!"

Raisa's eyes gleamed with silent amusement. "Stop being dramatic. I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"It's not just about him. Maman just informed me about Paris."

"Oh, don't remind me! It's all anyone can talk about. It's why I was so happy to focus all of my energy on the wedding preparations."

Felicity shook her head. "I was so naïve."

"We all were. Besides, how could we not be when the government assured us over and over again that our troops would be able to hold them off?"

"I still can't wrap my mind around the government easily folding like this. So many of our men dead and this is how they repay their sacrifice?"

"I don't think they had a choice. It seems the German army was stronger than we were lead to believe." Suddenly Raisa spat on the floor. "This Hitler is a very nasty man."

Felicity's eyebrows raised in surprise. She had never seen the kindly older woman do something so unladylike in her life.

Raisa gave a small chuckle when she saw her expression. "Forgive me my dear, the reports are frightening." She glanced around. "There is a rumor going around that many families in Germany and Poland have disappeared overnight. Most-" Her voice broke off and her eyes burned with unshed tears. She reached out and gripped Felicity's hand tightly. "Most of them are Jewish. When I think of what could happen once the soldiers arrive here." She shuddered.

"Don't worry," Felicity said in a soothing tone. "Nothing bad will happen to my family. Besides, we are too far away from Paris. I doubt that they will arrive before we leave."

"So it's true? You plan to leave the country?"

"Apparently that is the whole point of this farce of a wedding." She let out a sound of disgust. "If only I didn't have to go through with it. I wish I could go to the States on my own, but my maman says that they are turning Jews away at the border."

"Yes. It's true." Raisa sighed heavily. "What a cruel place this world turned out to be."

Felicity said nothing.

"It doesn't seem like it now, but I think your parents are wise to choose this path for you. Think of how difficult it would be to support yourself if you somehow managed to get to the States on your own."

"I'm not afraid of hard work. There are a lot of job opportunities for women in America."

"But you don't know how to speak any English yet? With your limited language skills, the most you could probably hope to qualify for would be a job as a maid or something more menial."

"So?"

"_So_ you're the daughter of a doctor. Do you really believe any of those menial jobs will satisfy you?" Raisa moved closer. "Before I married my late husband, I worked as a maid in Paris for one of France's wealthiest families. It was very difficult work. I was happy to leave the city behind and settle into married life. You could have that too if you give this marriage a chance."

She knew that Raisa was right, but she still couldn't shake her negative reaction to her upcoming wedding to a complete stranger. She had always valued her parent's relationship and had hoped to find the same type of love someday. She wanted to be able to choose who she would spend the rest of her life with, but recent events had made that desire impossible.

Her parents were fixated on her receiving a new identity and immigrating to the States. As she had done all her life, she would be the dutiful daughter and obey them.

She leaned forward and gave the older woman a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for the advice Madame-" she paused. "Sorry. I mean thanks for the advice Raisa. I appreciate it." She glanced down at her watch. "I hate to cut this short, but I have to go. Sara is probably waiting at the hotel for me right now."

A look of confusion came over Raisa's face. "Sara… is in town?"

Felicity hesitated answering, dreading the response she knew was coming. "Yes. She promised that she would be here for the ceremony."

"So the prodigal daughter returns," Raisa said, her face filling with disapproval. "It's a shame what that girl put her mother through."

"Please don't start-"

"Running off like that without any word for years. It's probably why her mother was sent to an early grave. She died of a broken heart."

Felicity gave a loud groan.

"She didn't even bother coming back for the funeral."

"I'm sure she had a good-"

"Don't try to defend her. That girl was always up to no good and I doubt she's changed."

Felicity didn't bother to contradict her. She was tired of getting drawn into the same old argument. She started to inch away. "I really do have to go. I'll see you tomorrow." She quickly dashed away without allowing Raisa to get in another word.

She let out a breath of relief when she finally reached the hotel. She entered the lobby, hearing the soft chime from the bells located on the entrance door. It was a small hotel, but everything was kept very neat and tidy.

She spotted the reception desk and strode towards it. The owner of the hotel, a man named Pierre Martin, stood behind the desk and was carefully going over his accounting ledger. To his left, a large and spacious window was open letting in the cool summer breeze. The window gave a nice view of the town at large.

"_Bonjour, Monsieur_ Martin," she greeted the man.

He glanced up and fastened his eyes upon her. "_Bonjour, mademoiselle_." His eyes immediately began to trace up and down her body frame, finally settling upon her breasts. "It's always a pleasure to see you."

Felicity gritted her teeth. He always seemed to be undressing her with his eyes. He was always leering at her whenever he was nearby. It made her skin crawl.

She had been hoping that Pierre's wife would be working today but there was nobody else in sight. His wife was a quiet woman with dead eyes. She felt sorry for her. It couldn't be easy being married to a weasel like Pierre. This was why she did not want to marry a man whose character she knew nothing about. What if he turned out to be like Pierre? In twenty years, would she have the same dead look in her eyes like Madame Martin?

She did her best not to react to his ogling and kept her expression serene. "Has she arrived yet?"

"Who?"

"Sara."

His eyes remained trained on her breasts. "I haven't seen her," he said absently.

She sighed. "She must be running late."

He looked up finally. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about her."

"Why? Has something happened?"

"I'm sorry, but we have no rooms available."

"Nothing available…" she echoed. "But I reserved the room weeks ago and besides- She looked around at the deserted hotel lobby -you don't exactly look busy."

"You misunderstand. I mean we don't have any rooms available for _Sara_ at this facility."

"Your right, I don't understand."

"Well at the time you booked the room I didn't know of your friend's reputation."

"What does that have to do with anything?" She demanded.

He glanced out the window facing the town. "We run a very smooth operation here and if word got around that we allowed someone like your friend with her…sexual proclivities to stay here, it could hurt my business. I simply can't take the risk."

She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. "We already have an agreement. You have to honor-"

He turned back to face her and shrugged. "I'm sorry, but I must put the reputation of this establishment first."

"Pierre, be reasonable. You are the only hotel for miles and we couldn't possible find another place to have her stay on such short notice."

He sniffed. "Not my problem."

Felicity gave up all pretense of being calm and stomped her foot in frustration. "Look, I've already paid your wife a deposit for the room, so you have to honor our original agreement."

He grabbed his black ledger and shut it with a loud thud. "I have no record of this supposed payment ever being made."

"Then ask your wife!"

"My _wife_ will back me up in whatever I say."

"Are you really doing this right now?" She stared at him incredulously. You would really cause this much trouble for me on the night before my wedding?"

He considered her for a moment. "I know you think that I'm being unfair, but I'm not totally unsympathetic. I can appreciate that tomorrow is your big day. Perhaps we can come to an arrangement that would satisfy us both."

She gave a sigh of relief, feeling hopeful for the first time since she started this unpleasant conversation with him. "Yes. Thank you. And if it's more money that you need perhaps I could manage to come up with-"

Suddenly he reached across the desk and grabbed her wrist in a tight grip.

She looked down in confusion. "What-"

"It's not money that I want."

She frowned and tried to tug her hand out of his grip, but he wouldn't let go. "Pierre what is the meaning-"

"A girl with your looks could get very far in the world." His eyes roamed down her body.

She stilled and her face flushed with anger. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Pierre did not notice the storm brewing in her eyes. Well…if you were willing to be nice to me, I could be persuaded to let her stay for a night or two."

"Let me make sure I understand you clearly. You want me to have sex with you so that you will let Sara stay in a room that I already paid for?"

"You don't have to make it sound so crude. It could be romantic."

"Let go of my hand."

"I have a room in the back that we could use if you want. I could show you how to pleasure a man so you know what to do on your wedding night."

"I said let go!"

He laughed and jerked her forward. She lost her balance. "I've had my eye on you for a while now."

She could smell his bad breath and felt like gagging.

He leaned forward, trying to kiss her. She reached across the table with her free hand and slapped him hard across his face. The crack reverberated around the room.

He released her instantly.

She was breathing hard and shaking. She had never used violence in her life and felt sick to her stomach.

Pierre turned bright red and reach up to cover his cheek. "Get out!"

Her voice was unsteady. "Give me back my deposit-"

"You think you're better than me?" He sneered.

"Give me back my deposit," she repeated.

"You'll get nothing. And you can tell that whore Sara that if she steps foot in this hotel, I'll have her arrested."

"It's you that belongs in a jail cell, you pig."

"You should have been kind to me. I could have protected you when the soldiers arrive, but now I will make sure to point them in your family's direction."

"That would be a death sentence for us. You really are a monster, aren't you?"

Pierre did not reply, he just stared at her coldly and smirked.

She turned and swiftly left, knowing that she would throw up if she was forced to look at his smug face a second longer.

Rubbing her wrist which had a faint bruise forming where Pierre had grabbed her, she briefly considered telling her father about his behavior but dismissed the thought immediately. She knew her father's reaction would be disastrous.

There would be a fight. It would probably land him in a jail cell on the eve of her wedding. It was better to let it go and forget the creep. They would just have to make room in their cramped home when Sara finally arrived.

She walked blindly through the streets, still filled with rage over Pierre's disgusting proposition. She was reluctant to go home. Unwilling to let her mother see how visibly upset she was.

A light drizzle of rain began to pour down. She started shivering and regretted not bringing a jacket with her.

Suddenly she bumped into a hard chest. She felt herself falling backwards from the force, but strong hands that felt like steel steadied her.

"Are you okay?" A deep voice asked.

She looked up and was instantly caught in the thrall of piercing blue eyes. Every thought in her head vanished. For a moment, her tongue was tied. She had never seen such a good looking man before. He was tall, with well-defined muscles, and dark blonde hair.

"Are you okay _mademoiselle_?" The stranger repeated. He was looking at her with concern now.

She looked away from his handsome face, trying to gather her thoughts. She wondered what he was doing here. They didn't get many strangers in town usually. They were too far away from Paris to be any type of attraction to tourist.

"Yes." She finally replied. "Sorry. I was distracted. I'm getting married tomorrow and have a lot on my mind."

The stranger just stared at her. There seemed to be disappointment in his eyes.

"Um…" she said, trying to fill the awkward silence. "Are you visiting someone in town? I've never seen you before today."

"Something like that," he said.

Still cold, she could hear her teeth chattering. She blushed red from embarrassment and hoped he couldn't hear it.

"Are you cold?"

"No." Her clattering teeth made a mockery of her words.

Ignoring her obvious lie, he shrugged out of his jacket and held it out to her.

She shook her head. "No, really, I'm fine."

"Take it. I insist. I don't want to you catch a cold before your wedding day." He gently wrapped the jacket around her, and she immediately became enveloped in the warmth that his body heat left behind.

"Thanks."

"Could you point me in the direction of the Church?"

Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "That's actually where the wedding ceremony is being held tomorrow. She pointed in an eastward direction. "You'd better hurry. They are closing early today so that the last of the decorations can be put in place for the wedding tomorrow."

"Thank you." He murmured. He didn't move.

They stood there, staring at each other for a long moment.

"Well I must be going," she said nervously, ignoring her urge to stay. She turned and began walking away.

She looked back to get one last look at the stranger, but he was gone.

**Author's Note**: Just a heads up. The next chapter is very dark material.


End file.
